Canine Catering

cute dog lying on green grass in spring Sunny meadow funny sticking out his tongue and rolling his eyes
Picture of Canine Catering

Canine Catering

Dog-friendly Plants

Plants that are toxic to dogs are nearly everywhere:  some because they are readily self-seeding (like lantana and agapanthus), some are grown for use by people (aloe vera, cannabis), and some are gorgeous and popular with gardeners (like azaleas and hydrangeas). 

According to Animal Poisons Helpline, the plants listed below are the most dangerous for our furry friends in Australia:

The 5 most toxic in Australia

 
  • Yesterday Today & Tomorrow (Brunfelsia). It contains neurotoxins.
    Yesterday, today & tomorrow
    Yesterday, today & tomorrow
    Unfortunately, dogs are attracted to the plant and have been known to eat the fruit.
  • Oleander. Contains oleandrin.
  • Foxglove. Contains digitalis.
  • Sago palm (Cycads). Contains cycasin.
    Sago palm
    Sago palm 
    https://animalpoisons.com.au/dog-poisons/sago-palm-dog
  • Lillies. The dog currently cutting off circulation to my toes doesn’t approve, but cats should get a mention here. Lilies are very toxic to cats – just licking pollen off a paw can be fatal. If you have a cat, don’t have lilies in your home.
    Lily
    Lily  

 

The longer shortlist

 

Walkerville Vet provides a shortlist of plants to avoid, with an asterisk beside the more toxic ones:

  • Azalea & Rhododendron
  • Agapanthus & Clivea
  • Box (English, Korean, Japanese)
  • Brunfelsia* (yesterday, today, tomorrow)
  • Bulbs
  • Dracaena*
  • Lilies (very toxic to cats)
  • Grapevine*
  • Ivy* (read about that here)
  • Euphorbias eg Poinsettia 
  • Fig (except the edible fig)
  • Flowering quince
  • Gardenia
  • Geranium
  • Hellebore
  • Hydrangea
  • Nandina or Sacred bamboo
  • Oleander*
  • Periwinkle*
  • Philodendron
  • Privet
  • Strelizia
  • Umbrella plant
  • Wisteria 
  • Yucca

The detailed list 

 

For a detailed list of both toxic and safe plants in Australia, go to https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/blog/post/plants-safe-for-dogs

Internationally, the ASPCA provides an excellent list of safe and toxic plants for dogs.

Fortunately, there are loads of other beauties to brighten a puppy-friendly garden, such as crepe myrtle, native bottlebrush, camellias, and jasmine.  Poisonings from plants are rare, and statistically the most likely poisonings in the garden would be caused by fertiliser, compost, pesticides, rat bait and wild mushrooms – see here.  

Further resources:

 

Did you know? You can check what variety of wild mushroom you’ve found, here

Our post on fruit & veg that are safe or toxic  for dogs can be found here

Shop our meals here

Main image credit: iStock Nataba

Share this post